by Bruce Johnson
© 2015 Bruce Johnson – Reprinted with permission – Shining Lotus Metaphysical Bookstore Newsletter March 2015.
The Bible prophet Ezekiel describes in his heavenly vision- a whirlwind of creation rising out of the north, wheels within wheels, fiery clouds, and four winged creatures in the sky linked to the four cardinal directions. These symbols are also found in the mysterious Wheel of Fortune tarot card. Its arcane meaning is discovered through the application of Ancient Wisdom teachings.
The orange Wheel of Fortune is the whirlwind of Ezekiel’s vision, a Spiritual Sun of eternal motion and life, and it also symbolizes the the Wheel of Life. It is the creative non-physical source of all solid physical forms. Its physical parallel would be the Sun of a Solar System. The greater wheel, with the name of God engraved on it, contains lesser wheels within it. These wheels are symbolic of vortices within vortices and lesser cycles moving within greater cycles of life. Together, they indicate that life expresses itself on different levels of manifestation and in recurring cycles. Emanation, Reincarnation, Involution and Evolution are all depicted in the Wheel.
The arc of involution is shown by the serpent on the left side of the wheel. The serpent is spirit descending into matter moving toward the bottom of the wheel, the pole of matter. The red figure is Typhon, the devil of the Egyptians and the model for the Biblical Satan. He is symbolic of dense physical matter, the opposite of spirit. He is ascending on the arc of evolution, toward the spiritual pole at the top of the wheel. The direction of the heads of the snake and Typhon, signify a counter-clockwise rotation of the wheel or vortex. The eternal process of involution and evolution is the basis of cyclical reincarnation and the method of human evolution. The blue Sphinx at the top of the Wheel is a symbol of the soul who has transcended the cycles of reincarnation and rebirth, an adept who has found permanence and balance in a universe of ceaseless motion and change.
Interpreted esoterically, The Wheel of Fortune card shows a spiritual vortex of creation that emanates spirit into form and is the non- physical cause behind all physical manifestation. Five elements are represented on the card, with the central vortex depicting the spirit or ether element as the common source of the other four elements. The cross of Spirit and the cross of Matter are interconnected and blended at the center of the inner wheel, indicating spirit, matter, and their respective cycles emanate from the same transcendental cause.
The four living creatures of Ezekiel’s vision are- Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, and Scorpio. They correspond to the four Archangels of the four basic elements of fire earth air and water shown on the Wheel of Fortune card. The Archangels symbolized in astrological symbols are also recording angels, seeing all and recording all in the Book of Life. They are the administrators of God’s plan on earth. Their lofty spiritual level is shown by the yellow of intelligence, wings, and their presence in the clouds.
Bruce Johnson has over 30 years of study in the fields of Ancient Wisdom and occultism. He has taught classes on a wide range of topics, from Atlantis to mediums to Zoroaster. He is also a Spiritualist minister, with a background in spiritual astrology. He lives in Colorado with his wife and their cat.
Used Books about Tarot Cards and Ezekiel’s Vision are sometimes available for purchase at the Shining Lotus.
Tarot Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings & Deeper Meanings — by Rachel Pollack — $14 Used Trade Paperback
— Offering an abundant array of new ideas mixed in with enlightening discussions about Tarot’s checkered past, this guidebook features innovative ways to interpret and use Tarot. It features a wealth of original spreads to try for yourself – including spreads for predictive, psychological, magical, and spiritual readings.
Unearthing Atlantis: An Archaeological Odyssey — by Charles Pellegrino — $12.00 Used Trade Paperback
— As if in a detective story, astrobiologist/paleontologist Charles Pellegrino follows the footprints. Unearthing Atlantis is a fascinating odyssey that takes us along some unexpected byways – to the top of Mount Saint Helens and down along the ocean floor, on a Theran sightseeing tour backward through time – as we piece together the story of an extraordinary people tragically lost and a legend as it might have been.